An IMGW News Report
Hungary’s ruling party has adopted legislation enabling the government to suspend the citizenship of dual nationals accused of serving “foreign interests” or “undermining sovereignty.” Though framed as a national security measure, critics argue it is a tool for silencing dissent—particularly among civil society actors and the diaspora.
Among the voices raising alarm is David Korányi, President of Action for Democracy, who outlined the law’s chilling implications in an opinion piece for Politico Europe. A longstanding critic of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Korányi has been the target of surveillance, smear campaigns and investigations by Hungary’s “Sovereignty Protection Authority,” a body critics say echoes the repressive institutions of authoritarian states.
The proposed law would grant the state extraordinary powers to revoke Hungarian nationality—without due process or transparency—setting a dangerous precedent within the European Union. No other EU member state currently permits such discretionary denationalisation on the basis of vague, politically charged accusations.
This development forms part of a broader illiberal trajectory. Hungary’s government has amended its constitution—now for the fifteenth time in as many years—to further restrict freedom of assembly. Pride marches have been effectively outlawed under a controversial “Child Protection Act,” which also enables the use of invasive surveillance technologies, including facial recognition, to monitor protests.
Orbán has also hinted at withdrawing Hungary from the International Criminal Court, a suggestion made during a recent visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant. This apparent rejection of international norms only underscores Hungary’s growing isolation from core EU values.
With elections looming in 2026 and opposition challenger Péter Magyar gaining momentum, the political temperature is rising. Rumours abound of efforts to block or jail Magyar—a strategy familiar to observers of other autocratic regimes.
As one political observer put it, the EU now faces a stark choice: enforce its democratic standards or risk further erosion from within.
